Beyond Hope by Eve Zaremba

Author:Eve Zaremba
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC000000, FIC022000
Publisher: Second Story Press
Published: 1990-01-07T00:00:00+00:00

19

AT FIRST SHE WAS SILENT in the jeep on the way back to Women’s Acres.

“How’d you do it?” Carol asked finally.

“I persuaded him that you wouldn’t tell him enough that was useful, soon enough. I told him I had a way of speeding things up. That’s all,” I replied.

“How?”

“You and Dean.”

“What about me and Dean?”

“I want to find Huber. With your help.”

“Is that all?”

“That’s the beginning.”

“God, Helen! Are you nuts, or what? You cannot have any idea what you’re talking about! D’you really think Dean and I will just tell you where to find Huber, Huber will turn himself in, we’ll pack up all our plans and quietly get back to growing rutabagas? Just because of you or that asshole Ronald Walters? Get real!”

“Whoever killed Ben isn’t going to get to grow rutabagas, I promise. And you forgot to mention the two guys who’ve been set up for his murder. Where are they? Are they alive?”

“I don’t know. Ask Dean. He might know. But he didn’t do it. I know he didn’t.”

“You mean Dean didn’t personally kill Ben. But I bet he arranged for the body to be moved and possibly for the kidnapping of Sid and Harry. That’s his job, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Dean’s logistics: transportation, supply, communication. That’s his job.”

“Who’s the boss?”

“Shoreman’s our contact and cell leader.”

“No, I mean the real, overall boss.”

“I don’t know.”

“Does Dean know?”

“Maybe. There are at least two cells in this area. Maybe three. We get orders passed on to us. We carry them out. Our cell is the only above-ground part of the operations. Well, our cell is ARC. We deal with the outside world, and like I said Dean’s job is logistics. He and Shoreman are responsible for transportation, materials, all of that. All through ARC facilities.”

“Where do you fit in?”

“I provide cover, carry messages, generally help out.”

“And recruit.”

“Yes. Not much any more.”

“Did you ever try to recruit Rita, Nancy and that lot?”

“Yes. It didn’t take.”

“I wouldn’t have thought so. Go on, how about the other cell or cells?”

“I’m not sure exactly how it works. We aren’t supposed to know any more than we need to.”

“Yeah. ‘Need to know’. But you have some idea.”

“There’s a security cell or group. But whether it’s separate or part of the leadership cell, I don’t know. I’ve met a few of the members, that’s all.”

“How many people, altogether, do you estimate?” I asked.

For the first time she paused. “About 20, but it may be more.”

“How about Huber. What’s his position?”

“I don’t know. All I can tell you is that Shoreman’s scared of him.”

We drove a while in silence.

“What’s it all about, Carol?” I asked.

After a moment she answered. “I am beginning to realize how little I really know. We aren’t exactly encouraged to ask questions. Dean recruited me about a year ago. Our politics were always pretty close. So when he said that we were to set up safe houses for comrades to hide, rest and regroup, I went along. Mostly my job was to meet people, look after them and pass them on.

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